【By Observer Net, Ruan Jiaqi】

"What do you think about Treasury Secretary Bensont's statement that you 'retracted' your speech at Davos?" When asked this, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau smiled helplessly and then shook his head.

He sighed and said, "This needs to be clear, and I also told (Trump) President that every word I said at Davos was sincere."

Trudeau also said that he informed Trump by phone that Canada was the first country to understand the shift in U.S. trade policy he was pushing, and was responding to related measures.

"I introduced him to our economic and trade arrangements with China, and explained our actions: twelve new agreements reached in four continents within six months, which impressed him. At the same time, I also outlined our future plans."

Trudeau denies Bensont's remarks, screenshot from CBC video

Earlier, Bensont had claimed in an interview with U.S. media that on Monday, when speaking with President Trump, Trudeau had "strongly retracted" some of his "inappropriate" remarks made during his speech at the Davos Forum.

The so-called "inappropriate" remarks referred to Trudeau's call last week at Davos for countries to accept the reality that the "rules-based international order" has ended, while pointing out that "middle powers" can work together to counter the economic coercion of "hegemonic countries".

Although not directly naming the United States, Trudeau's sharp comments were widely seen as a public rebuttal against the Trump administration's unilateralism, sparking dissatisfaction in the U.S.

According to CBC on the 27th, on Tuesday, en route to a meeting with cabinet members, Trudeau directly denied Bensont's claim.

The Associated Press described it as "Trudeau rolled his eyes at the U.S. Treasury Secretary." The New Republic magazine also joked, "Bensont tried to portray Trudeau as regretful of his own words to save Trump's face lost at Davos," but ended up in a fiasco.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensont interviewed by Fox News, claiming Trudeau "retracted inappropriate statements" - screenshot

According to Trudeau, Trump called him on Monday, and they had "a very pleasant conversation," lasting about half an hour, covering topics such as Arctic security, the situation in Ukraine, and the situation in Venezuela, among others.

Trudeau said that he told Trump over the phone that Canada is strengthening overseas connections, increasing domestic investment, and is also willing to reshape relations with the U.S. under the framework of the USMCA.

"He understood this, and it was a pleasant conversation," Trudeau said.

According to Reuters, on the same day, Trudeau revealed in the Canadian House of Commons that the formal review of the USMCA would start within weeks, but he did not reveal more details.

Notably, when asked about the prospects of trade negotiations with Washington, Trudeau spoke in French at the meeting, saying, "The world has changed, and Washington has changed. There is almost nothing normal about the current U.S., and this is a fact."

He also refused to make any guarantees about whether Canada and the U.S. could conduct "friendly and normal" trade negotiations, only stating, "Our consultations with the U.S. are continuing. Last night, I spoke with the President for 30 minutes."

The Globe and Mail pointed out that Trudeau's comments on the U.S. were quite "rare."

The Time magazine reported that as Trudeau reaffirmed his position, a new survey by the Canadian non-profit research institution Angus Reid Institute showed that due to Trudeau's tough diplomatic stance in dealing with the escalating threats from the U.S., his domestic support rating had risen by eight percentage points, reaching 60%, setting a new high since he became prime minister last March.

At last week's Davos summit, Trudeau's unnamed criticism embarrassed Trump, who became angry and publicly mocked Trudeau, revoked Canada's invitation to join the Gaza "Peace Committee," and threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Canadian goods, citing Canada's trade cooperation with China.

Trudeau tried to downplay the concerns, emphasizing that the consensus reached with China on electric vehicles and agricultural products fully complied with the USMCA. Canada respects and abides by the commitments in the agreement and has no intention of advancing a free trade agreement with China. According to the USMCA, if the three countries plan to advance a free trade agreement with so-called "non-market economies," they must notify the other member states in advance.

He also explained that the relevant agreements with China were mainly aimed at "correcting some issues that emerged in recent years." The Globe and Mail believes that Trudeau's statement aims to protect the electric vehicle agreement with China.

In Trudeau's view, the recent tariff threats from Trump are actually to take a "position" ahead of the upcoming USMCA renewal talks later this year.

On the 26th, during an event announcing tax reduction measures, Trudeau said that Trump is a "tough negotiator," and that some recent statements and postures from his government "should be viewed in a broader context." He emphasized that Canada and the U.S. have "extremely close economic and security relations," but there is still room for improvement, and these issues can be resolved through negotiations.

Despite the continuous threats from the U.S. government, the Canadian side remains resolute, insisting on not abandoning its efforts to promote trade diversification and reduce dependence on the U.S.

According to Canadian media, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hudak, will soon visit India to meet with Indian industry leaders and government officials to discuss cooperation opportunities in key minerals, liquefied natural gas, and other areas; Trudeau himself also plans to visit India and Australia shortly.

On Tuesday, Canada and India issued a joint statement on expanding the trade scale of Canadian oil and gas. Trudeau is scheduled to visit India next month to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Modi.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7600211572547420708/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.